Consciousness: A Neurological Perspective
Andrea E. Cavanna, Sachin Shah, Clare M. Eddy, Adrian Williams, Hugh Rickards
Behavioural Neurology April 2, 2015 DOI: 10.3233/ben-2011-0322 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that a bidimensional model of consciousness, separating arousal and awareness, can differentiate a range of healthy and altered conscious states, with a disrupted correlation between the two dimensions characterizing certain neurological conditions. |
Abstract
Consciousness is a state so essentially entwined with human experience, yet so difficult to conceptually define and measure. In this article, we explore how a bidimensional model of consciousness involving both level of arousal and subjective awareness of the contents of consciousness can be used to differentiate a range of healthy and altered conscious states. These include the different sleep stages of healthy individuals and the altered states of consciousness associated with neurological conditions such as epilepsy, vegetative state and coma. In particular, we discuss how arousal and awareness are positively correlated in normal physiological states with the exception of REM sleep, while a disturbance in this relationship is characteristic of vegetative state, minimally conscious state, complex partial seizures and sleepwalking.